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Thread: Rats! Chicago area Woodcraft is Moving.

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Algonquin, IL
    Posts
    303

    Rats! Chicago area Woodcraft is Moving.

    The Palatine, IL Woodcraft was perfectly positioned for me. A slight change of route home and I could drop by after work to fondle new tools, pickup finishes or hardware, and generally just BS with the guys there.

    Now they are moving to outer Mongolia. Okay... only moving to the north end of Libertyville, but with the traffic and road situation up there it might as well be in Siberia.

    The old location was nice, convienent for me, but close to the Route 53 expressway exit so I'd think fairly convienent for others too. Now I can't figure out how to get there in less than an hour and a half.

    :-(

    I guess I'll have to go mail order and Rockler or Berlands. End of an era for me. I got my bandsaw, Jointer and router table from them plus untold routerbits, finishes, glues, and other gee-gaws. Great service and great folks.

    So heads up to you Chicago and Milwaukee area guys.

    M
    “Never attribute to malice that which can be explained by stupidity”

  2. #2

    Don't write them off yet

    I drive all the way from Chicago to the Palatine location, and will just drive to Libertyville instead once they move. I've been going there for several years now, and don't want to give up on the store ,even with the move. Talk to Bob Dow, their manager, about checking on stock before you head over, this helps me plan a trip, save gas and aggregravtion. Rockler is OK for me, but I spend more time and money at WoodCraft. Berlands is also OK, but even further of a trip, and I seem to be able to hit the far North store much faster as a round trip instead of Lombard. Just the way the highways and traffic runs I guess.
    I talked to all the usual staff guys before the move was really common knowledge, Cook County's sales tax was a huge issue for the owner. I haven't seen the new space yet, I wonder if it's smaller than the Palatine store. Did you ever make it into their basement? It runs the ENTIRE length of the strip mall from what I've seen. So, they had lots of classroom and storage space under the main store area.
    At any rate, don't write them off, just sigh and plan your trips to them accordingly. Could be worse, we could lose them totally.
    By the way, Bob is trying to sell a new Jet Floor Hollow Chisel Mortiser before the move. It's still in its boxes[comes in 2] and he's throwing in a new set of Jet Mortiser Chisels, all for $750. He wants to sell it so he doesn't have to move it. Ask any of your woodworking buddies if they have a need for a new Jet, complete with chisel set. He'd be grateful.

  3. #3
    that is a bummer. I was able to dash there at lunch and just make it back to work... now having to go up on I-94? not going to happen.

    Luckily, there is another, bigger, woodcraft south in woodridge... and rockler is still close too. Can't do the other woodcraft it at lunch, but at least I don't have to make a day-tip of going to libertyville.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    LA & SC neither one is Cali
    Posts
    9,447
    When are they movng? I ask because I will be on a business trip later this month and planned to drop by.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Chicago Suburbs
    Posts
    200
    Bob at the Palatine store is one of the friendliest, very knowledgeable and all around good guys I know in Woodworking. I don't get into Woodcraft as often as I used to, but it's a great store and I'm sure they'll keep up the good work in the new location. The folks at Rockler in Schaumburg are sure to appreciate having a few more miles between their stores.

    The Palatine store will be closing at 3PM on March 6 and will reopen at the new location on Wednesday, March 10 at 9AM.

    New address: 1177 S. Milwaukee Ave, Libertyville IL 60048
    (Greentree Plaza next to XPort Fitness)

  6. #6
    The one in the northern suburb Atlanta GA also moved recently, too. The new location was further away for me - but once they were done I visited... and WOW what an upgrade!! Huge classroom with about 8 Sjoberg workbenches, pulldown power at each station, roll around mini lathes, big flat screen so you can see intructor working on screen - full vacuum system - I could go on!! all the tools (powermatics! and a Sawstop) all for classroom use... Very impressive and I've brought my friends to check it out.

    Also, they have had a bunch of classes - anything from how to use a dovetail gigs (cheapos v/s leigh v/s portercable etc... ), fly fishing rods, turning, sharpening - Even Chris Schwartz is coming out there (or did) - lots of other big names in the industry...

    So - this upgrade could have set the BAR for other WoodCraft franchises!

    Definitely a smart move for the ATL, GA location!

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    22,494
    Blog Entries
    1
    Its your own fault Mike. You should have spent more money and made them aware that the only reason you drop 4 figures there per month is that they are conveniently located. They probably want to move where the rent is better or their market is more concentrated the rotten guys.

    All kidding aside, I feel your pain. I hate it when something like that happens and upsets my apple cart; especially when I didn't realize I had an apple cart till it got upset.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by glenn bradley View Post
    Its your own fault Mike. You should have spent more money and made them aware that the only reason you drop 4 figures there per month is that they are conveniently located. They probably want to move where the rent is better or their market is more concentrated the rotten guys.

    All kidding aside, I feel your pain. I hate it when something like that happens and upsets my apple cart; especially when I didn't realize I had an apple cart till it got upset.
    Palatine has had several votes on whether to break from Cook County and join one of the other county governments or start their own little show, I guess, all mostly due to the uproar over the Cook County Sales Tax issues, high rate, politics etc. So, it's one more Palatine business that's moving out of Cook County and restarting somewhere else, like in Lake County.
    I tend to forget all the anger about it until I'm out in the suburbs and I hear people talking about it. At any rate, I'll check out the new store soon, as it's just down the road from the Mitsubishi dealer that I buy parts from. So, 2 reasons to spend money in Libertyville IL for me now.

  9. #9
    Now that I think of it, I actually called this place, berlands, and the woodcraft in woodridge when I bought my TS. since the Sawstop prices are controlled, the only competitive advantage was the tax rate... Woodridge won that battle. (Though they did screw me with some damaged components. Of course, SS made good on it.)

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Kennesaw, GA
    Posts
    92
    Quote Originally Posted by Dennis Lopeman View Post
    The one in the northern suburb Atlanta GA also moved recently, too. The new location was further away for me - but once they were done I visited... and WOW what an upgrade!! Huge classroom with about 8 Sjoberg workbenches, pulldown power at each station, roll around mini lathes, big flat screen so you can see intructor working on screen - full vacuum system - I could go on!! all the tools (powermatics! and a Sawstop) all for classroom use... Very impressive and I've brought my friends to check it out.

    Also, they have had a bunch of classes - anything from how to use a dovetail gigs (cheapos v/s leigh v/s portercable etc... ), fly fishing rods, turning, sharpening - Even Chris Schwartz is coming out there (or did) - lots of other big names in the industry...

    So - this upgrade could have set the BAR for other WoodCraft franchises!

    Definitely a smart move for the ATL, GA location!
    Anyone know how much a Woodcraft franchise costs? There's definitely room for another in ATL. This one is NE ATL, and it's a royal pain to get to from NW ATL.

  11. #11
    here is a newspaper article on the move
    http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=363944

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